Why aren't you at your desk?

I never understood how politicians who are hired to do a certain job can take so much time off to pursue another job. Why are they being paid for something they're not doing? When I worked for an ad agency, I don't think they would have allowed me a paid leave to pursue a better position at another agency. We know that all our Congressmen and Senators are parasites as it is, sucking up all kinds of free perks in addition to good salaries. And if there's something they're not getting, they vote it in. But it's ridiculous that we pay them so much and they take so much time off to campaign. More and more I think the American people are absolute saps.